Harry Potter walked into the familiar snowy white building with his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. As they walked to the door, Ron was still arguing, "It came back to Hogwarts on its own. That shows it belongs there!"
"Ron, we've been over this." Harry said, "I promised."
"But that was before!" he said, but he broke off when they reached the marble counter.
Harry walked up to one of the available goblins, "I'd like to see Griphook, please. Please tell him Harry Potter is here."
"I know who you are," the goblin said ringing a bell. A goblin had run up in response to the bell. "This is Grathnor. He will take you take you to Griphook."
The goblin indicated they should follow him. Harry automatically walked towards the door that lead to the vaults, but changed course as the goblin walked around the counter to a different door. It opened to another rock cavern. He looked at Hermione, puzzled.
"You know they prefer to work underground," she hissed at him.
They followed the goblin down a trail passing side caverns along the way containing other goblins and wizards bent over accounting ledgers, writing memos that flew around the caverns delivering themselves, speaking into fires, or to each other. "Bank Business," Grathnor mentioned, unnecessarily.
Finally they stopped at a cavern. Grathnor poked his head in and announced, "Harry Potter."
Harry looked in and saw Griphook seated behind a desk talking to another goblin. The last time he'd seen Griphook, the goblin had left him in the Lestranges bank vault to be captured by Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters. The goblin had been on the run at the time, but Harry had heard he'd returned to the bank after the Voldemort's defeat. Harry was surprised to realize he didn't feel any anger towards Griphook. He realized with a start that he recognized the goblin Griphook was with as well. After he'd broken into the Lestranges vault to steal the cup of Helga Hufflepuff which contained a fragment of Voldemort's soul, this goblin had been the one to explain to Lord Voldemort what had happened.
Harry entered the room. Hermione and Ron followed him. "Hello Harry Potter." Griphook said. Harry looked at Hermione who opened her bag and pulled out a large sword with a ruby encrusted hilt. He took it from her and laid it on the goblin's desk. "As I promised."
Griphook ran a finger down the blade, "How did you get this?"
"The Hogwarts sorting hat. It knew we needed it to defeat Lord Voldemort." Harry could see it again as clearly as it had happened only moments before, Neville Longbottom being forced into the sorting sat, pulling the sword of Gryffindor, slicing off the head of Voldemort's pet and horcrux, Nagini. "But it's done. And we made a deal. You helped us in exchange for this. Here it is."
Beside him Ron looked pained.
"You kept your word, Harry Potter. I did not think you would." Griphook said.
"I might not have given it to you when you left with it." Harry admitted, "But I would always have honored our agreement."
He turned to go.
"Stay!" called the other goblin. He picked up the sword. "The sword of Ragnuk the First. Forged by goblins. Stolen by wizards. Returned by wizards." He held it up reflecting the light from the torches on the wall. "And given by goblins to the wizards."
"What?" Griphook and Harry spoke almost at the same time.
"As a gesture of goodwill and thanks, the goblins will present the sword of … as a gift to Hogwarts in order of the dawning of a new era of goodwill between us."
"In exchange for…?" Harry asked, knowing the nature of goblins.
"It's a new age. The old ministry is gone. We want to meet with the new minister. Have him preside of the presentation of the sword at Hogwarts, let it be public. Let the wand carriers see that the goblins are strong and powerful and deserve equality and representation. We trade our past," he threw the sword down on the table, "for a future. Can you arrange that, Harry Potter?"
"I can try." Harry said hesitantly.
"We will hold the sword until you do," he said. He nodded to Grathnor, who had remained at the door. He motioned to Harry, Ron and Hermione and they followed him out of the cavern.